Big Blue Madness set for Oct. 13

by Staff

Big Blue Madness tickets will be available Sept. 29. Campers will be allowed to begin setting up Sept. 27 at 5 a.m.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tickets for the 2017 edition of Big Blue Madness in Rupp Arena will be available Friday, Sept. 29, at 10 p.m. at the Memorial Coliseum ticket windows on Avenue of Champions and online at Ticketmaster.com. Big Blue Madness, the first open practice opportunity for UK’s 2017-18 men’s and women’s basketball teams, is Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are free again this year for the annual spectacle in Rupp Arena, which will feature introductions of both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, practice drills, videos, and more. Like the last two years, the ticket distribution will take place Friday night both at the Memorial Coliseum ticket windows on Avenue of Champions and online at Ticketmaster.com. All patrons require a ticket to Big Blue Madness, regardless of age.

A limited number of control cards will be issued to those camped out Friday, Sept. 29, at 2 p.m. All fans must be present to obtain their control cards and only one control card per person will be accepted at distribution. All people with control cards must be in line by 10 p.m.

At the request of campus public safety officials, fans wishing to line up ahead of time at Memorial Coliseum for ticket distribution are asked to do so no earlier than 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The athletics department will provide portable restroom facilities, but the use of permanent, wooden-type structures, portable generators, and propane tanks or other open flames used in cooking is prohibited due to safety concerns. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products are not permitted. Additionally, selling sports tickets in excess of face value is illegal in Kentucky.

With the surrounding campus undergoing construction, space will be limited for fans wishing to line up ahead of time, and fans are encouraged to use Ticketmaster.com to obtain tickets. Once available space for fans has reached capacity, remaining fans will be asked to acquire tickets online at Ticketmaster.com. As in past years, UK Athletics will inform fans when available space has reached capacity and they are unlikely to receive control cards for the in-person ticket distribution.

Campers are expected to be respectful to fellow campers, students, faculty, staff, security officials and pedestrians during the campout; and to abide by all university policies. The university will be operating normally with classes in session.

Parking and transportation information, along with further ticketing details, will be released at a later time.